MTRAC Archives - MSU Innovation Center

2025 MSU Startup of The Year-EeroQ Quantum Hardware: Advancing Quantum Computing to New Frontiers

There are currently less than ten different ways to build a quantum computer, each having the potential to revolutionize problem-solving across industries. While major corporations such as Google, Amazon, Microsoft, and IBM pursue quantum advancements using traditional models, a Michigan State University (MSU) startup is forging a new path. EeroQ (pronounced “Arrow Q”), winner of …


Earthmetric: Revolutionizing Farming Through Technology and Sustainability

The origin of EarthMetric Innovation’s Bluewise System is in the fields of farmers. “Engineers develop some tangible solutions to what society needs. I guess that was kind of always my motto for my career,” says Younsuk Dong, Ph.D., EarthMetric co-founder and Assistant Professor of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering at Michigan State University’s (MSU) College of …


Apple of my AI: MSU’s improved robotic apple picker

MSU Today

A robotic apple picker developed by Michigan State University slowly rolls through a west Michigan orchard systematically picking apples off the trees thanks to a collaborative partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Researchers at MSU aim to advance the robot’s functionality compared to previous robotic pickers using artificial intelligence, or AI, to harvest the …


Michigan State University Hosts Inaugural AgTech Symposium at Great Lakes Expo

MSU Research Foundation

MSU Research Foundation and MSU Technologies collaborated to establish the inaugural AgTech Symposium at the Great Lakes Expo. The event aimed to unite industry leaders for innovation and collaboration in addressing key challenges in Michigan’s agricultural sector. GRAND RAPIDS, MI — The Michigan State University Research Foundation and MSU Technologies hosted a first annual AgTech …


Translating technology: MTRAC-funded projects on display at Great Lakes EXPO

Remarkable research projects that focus on food, fuel & fiber are underway at the Michigan State University AgBio Innovation Hub — but not for long. Many of these innovative projects that are funded by the Michigan Translational Research & Commercialization (MTRAC) program and MSU will likely move from the lab to the marketplace in the …


Great Lakes EXPO 2023 showcases AgTech innovation from Michigan State University

Few people likely realize that agriculture is the second largest industry in Michigan, employing almost 25 percent of the workforce in the state. Michigan is also the second most agriculturally diverse state in the nation, thanks to the variety and volume of specialty crops that are grown here. It should be little surprise then, that …


2023 MTRAC Award Recipients Make Their Mark on Bioeconomy

Funded by the Michigan Strategic Fund through the  Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), the Michigan Translational Research and Commercialization (MTRAC) Program was established in 2012 in order to accelerate the creation and transfer of new technologies from Michigan’s institutions of higher learning into the commercial market by way of licenses to existing companies or startups. …


Using Activated Biochar and Plasma to Combat PFAS

Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a family of manufactured chemicals used in various industrial and consumer applications for over 60 years. They are often used in products such as non-stick cookware, stain-resistant carpeting, and firefighting foam. PFAS are extremely persistent in the environment, meaning they do not break down easily, leading to them being …


Dr. Bahar Aliakbarian: Repurposing Agricultural Waste into Marketable Products

Although our farmers may feed the world, agriculture can also create waste byproducts that harm our environment. To help make farming a greener practice, Dr. Bahar Aliakbarian, an Associate Professor in the MSU Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering and Director of Development and Research at the Axia Institute, is researching how the industry can …


Younsuk Dong: Increasing Crop Yield and Reducing Water Consumption with Precision Irrigation

Younsuk Dong, an Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist at the MSU Department of Biosystem and Agricultural Engineering (BAE), has created a system that will improve irrigation and plant disease management. Dong’s hardware, entitled the Low-Cost Monitoring System (LOCOMOS), is aimed at helping farmers determine optimal crop water patterns and can help farmers decide when crops …


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